Cryptids case files
930 SEP 2004
KRAKEN
KRAKEN - THE SEA MONSTER THAT WAS REAL
Norway, 1600s onward. Sailors tell of a sea monster big enough to pass for an island and drag down ships. In the 1870s giant squid wash up in Newfoundland, one with a tentacle over ten metres long. In 2004 scientists finally photograph one alive. The kraken was real, just not that big.
Norway, 1600s onward. Sailors tell of a sea monster big enough to pass for an island and drag down ships. In the 1870s giant squid wash up in Newfoundland, one with a tentacle over ten metres long. In 2004 scientists finally photograph one alive. The kraken was real, just not that big.
22004
ROPEN
ROPEN - THE LIVING PTEROSAUR OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea. Islanders speak of a night-flying creature, the ropen. American searchers, most of them creationists, go looking for a surviving pterosaur between 1993 and 2007. They see distant lights. No one has ever photographed a ropen or found a bone.
Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea. Islanders speak of a night-flying creature, the ropen. American searchers, most of them creationists, go looking for a surviving pterosaur between 1993 and 2007. They see distant lights. No one has ever photographed a ropen or found a bone.
56 AUG 1848
HMS DAEDALUS SEA SERPENT
HMS DAEDALUS SEA SERPENT - THE CAPTAIN'S REPORT
South Atlantic, 6 August 1848. The officers of the frigate HMS Daedalus watch a huge serpent-like animal pass close by, sixty feet of it visible. Captain M'Quhae reports it to the Admiralty. Richard Owen says it was a seal. No one has identified it since.
South Atlantic, 6 August 1848. The officers of the frigate HMS Daedalus watch a huge serpent-like animal pass close by, sixty feet of it visible. Captain M'Quhae reports it to the Admiralty. Richard Owen says it was a seal. No one has identified it since.
118 APR 1830
ALTAMAHA-HA
ALTAMAHA-HA - THE SERPENT OF A GEORGIA RIVER
The Altamaha River, Georgia. A sturgeon-like serpent reported since 1830, when a ship's captain described one off St. Simons Island. The one carcass offered, in 2018, was made by a performance artist from a stuffed shark and papier-mâché.
The Altamaha River, Georgia. A sturgeon-like serpent reported since 1830, when a ship's captain described one off St. Simons Island. The one carcass offered, in 2018, was made by a performance artist from a stuffed shark and papier-mâché.
11958
ALMAS
ALMAS - THE WILD MAN OF CENTRAL ASIA
Mongolia, the Caucasus and the Pamirs. A hairy, man-like creature known for centuries, hunted by a Soviet commission from 1958. The hair that was tested came from bear, horse and cattle, and Zana, the best-known Caucasian case, was a woman of East African ancestry.
Mongolia, the Caucasus and the Pamirs. A hairy, man-like creature known for centuries, hunted by a Soviet commission from 1958. The hair that was tested came from bear, horse and cattle, and Zana, the best-known Caucasian case, was a woman of East African ancestry.
11977
YEREN
YEREN - CHINA'S WILD MAN OF SHENNONGJIA
A tall, hairy, upright creature in the forests of Hubei, reported in writing since at least 1555. China ran expeditions and a cash reward for it in the 1970s and 1980s. Every body, hair and footprint tested has come from a known animal, and the monkey-boy skulls were human children.
A tall, hairy, upright creature in the forests of Hubei, reported in writing since at least 1555. China ran expeditions and a cash reward for it in the 1970s and 1980s. Every body, hair and footprint tested has come from a known animal, and the monkey-boy skulls were human children.
431 MAY 1982
CHESSIE
CHESSIE - THE CHESAPEAKE BAY SEA SERPENT
1982. A couple on Maryland's Kent Island videotape a long, dark shape swimming off their bulkhead. The Smithsonian calls it an animate but unidentifiable object. Manatees explain some sightings. The monster has since become a bay mascot, and nobody has found a body.
1982. A couple on Maryland's Kent Island videotape a long, dark shape swimming off their bulkhead. The Smithsonian calls it an animate but unidentifiable object. Manatees explain some sightings. The monster has since become a bay mascot, and nobody has found a body.
322 SEP 2000
SKOOKUM CAST
SKOOKUM CAST - THE BIGFOOT IMPRINT IN THE MUD
22 September 2000. A Bigfoot research team leaves fruit in a muddy wallow in Washington's Gifford Pinchot National Forest and finds a large body imprint the next morning. Supporters see a sasquatch lying down. Outside analysts see an elk, and elk tracks and hair were found beside it. The cast has never been published.
22 September 2000. A Bigfoot research team leaves fruit in a muddy wallow in Washington's Gifford Pinchot National Forest and finds a large body imprint the next morning. Supporters see a sasquatch lying down. Outside analysts see an elk, and elk tracks and hair were found beside it. The cast has never been published.
48 NOV 1951
SHIPTON YETI TRACKS
SHIPTON YETI TRACKS - THE 1951 FOOTPRINTS ON THE MENLUNG GLACIER
November 1951. Eric Shipton and Michael Ward photograph a line of large prints on the Menlung Glacier near Everest, with an ice axe for scale. The picture runs in The Times and becomes the best-known evidence for the yeti. The prints were never measured or cast. Bears are the best guess, but nobody can test it.
November 1951. Eric Shipton and Michael Ward photograph a line of large prints on the Menlung Glacier near Everest, with an ice axe for scale. The picture runs in The Times and becomes the best-known evidence for the yeti. The prints were never measured or cast. Bears are the best guess, but nobody can test it.
412 JUL 2008
MONTAUK MONSTER
MONTAUK MONSTER - THE THING ON DITCH PLAINS BEACH
July 2008. A hairless, beaked creature with long fingers washes up on a Long Island beach, a short boat ride from a secretive government animal disease lab. One photo makes it one of the internet's first viral monsters. The body vanished, and every feature in the picture fits a raccoon.
July 2008. A hairless, beaked creature with long fingers washes up on a Long Island beach, a short boat ride from a secretive government animal disease lab. One photo makes it one of the internet's first viral monsters. The body vanished, and every feature in the picture fits a raccoon.
51997
THE BLOOP
THE BLOOP - THE LOUDEST THING IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN
Summer 1997. Government hydrophones thousands of miles apart pick up a vast, rising, ultra-low sound from the remote South Pacific. It sounds alive and is far too loud for any known animal. The internet tied it to monsters and Lovecraft's Cthulhu. Years of listening later, NOAA traced it to Antarctic ice.
Summer 1997. Government hydrophones thousands of miles apart pick up a vast, rising, ultra-low sound from the remote South Pacific. It sounds alive and is far too loud for any known animal. The internet tied it to monsters and Lovecraft's Cthulhu. Years of listening later, NOAA traced it to Antarctic ice.
51924
APE CANYON
APE CANYON - THE MINERS' CABIN ON MOUNT ST. HELENS
In July 1924 five gold miners on Mount St. Helens said giant ape-like creatures stoned their cabin all night after one of them shot at a creature by day. Rangers found nothing, and in 1982 a retired logger said he and his uncle rolled the rocks. The confession does not cover the whole story.
In July 1924 five gold miners on Mount St. Helens said giant ape-like creatures stoned their cabin all night after one of them shot at a creature by day. Rangers found nothing, and in 1982 a retired logger said he and his uncle rolled the rocks. The confession does not cover the whole story.
311 MAY 2002
NINGEN
NINGEN - THE ANTARCTIC GIANT BORN ON A FORUM
The ningen is a giant white humanoid said to surface near Japanese whaling ships in the Antarctic. Its story began with one anonymous post on the 2channel forum in May 2002, passing on hearsay from a whaling source. Magazines, manga, a pop song and YouTube did the rest. No sighting record or photograph of known origin exists.
The ningen is a giant white humanoid said to surface near Japanese whaling ships in the Antarctic. Its story began with one anonymous post on the 2channel forum in May 2002, passing on hearsay from a whaling source. Magazines, manga, a pop song and YouTube did the rest. No sighting record or photograph of known origin exists.
45 NOV 2007
FRESNO NIGHTCRAWLERS
FRESNO NIGHTCRAWLERS - THE WALKING PANTS
Just after midnight in November 2007, a security camera in Fresno, California filmed two white figures walking across a lawn. They had long legs and almost nothing else. A second pair turned up near Yosemite in 2011. Nobody has explained them, and Fresno has adopted them as its mascot.
Just after midnight in November 2007, a security camera in Fresno, California filmed two white figures walking across a lawn. They had long legs and almost nothing else. A second pair turned up near Yosemite in 2011. Nobody has explained them, and Fresno has adopted them as its mascot.
44 JAN 1954
BEAST OF BLADENBORO
BEAST OF BLADENBORO - THE VAMPIRE CAT OF 1954
Bladenboro, North Carolina, December 1953 to January 1954. Dogs are found torn open and said to be drained of blood. The papers call it a vampire beast, and up to a thousand hunters search the swamps. A bobcat is shot and the killings stop, but a driver reports hitting a large spotted cat, and nobody proves which animal it was.
Bladenboro, North Carolina, December 1953 to January 1954. Dogs are found torn open and said to be drained of blood. The papers call it a vampire beast, and up to a thousand hunters search the swamps. A bobcat is shot and the killings stop, but a driver reports hitting a large spotted cat, and nobody proves which animal it was.
41968
MINNESOTA ICEMAN
MINNESOTA ICEMAN - THE BODY IN THE FAIRGROUND FREEZER
Rollingstone, Minnesota, December 1968. Ivan Sanderson and Bernard Heuvelmans examine a hairy man-like figure frozen in a showman's coffin, and Heuvelmans names it Homo pongoides. Within months the Smithsonian calls it a latex model, Frank Hansen says the real body was swapped, and his origin stories multiply. A model matching the photographs survives in Austin, Texas.
Rollingstone, Minnesota, December 1968. Ivan Sanderson and Bernard Heuvelmans examine a hairy man-like figure frozen in a showman's coffin, and Heuvelmans names it Homo pongoides. Within months the Smithsonian calls it a latex model, Frank Hansen says the real body was swapped, and his origin stories multiply. A model matching the photographs survives in Austin, Texas.
22002
KANDAHAR GIANT
KANDAHAR GIANT - THE STORY FROM THE CAVE
2002, Afghanistan, as told in 2016. A 12-foot red-haired giant kills a US soldier and is shot and flown out. The only source is anonymous, first told fourteen years later. The Pentagon has no record, and the one checkable detail doesn't match.
2002, Afghanistan, as told in 2016. A 12-foot red-haired giant kills a US soldier and is shot and flown out. The only source is anonymous, first told fourteen years later. The Pentagon has no record, and the one checkable detail doesn't match.
51868
BEAR LAKE MONSTER
BEAR LAKE MONSTER - THE CONFESSED 1868 UTAH-IDAHO HOAX
July 1868. Bear Lake, Utah-Idaho border. Joseph C. Rich reports a serpentine 'water devil' in the lake, drawing on real Shoshone tradition. Sightings escalate for three years. Rich confesses to fabricating it in 1894, but reports continue sporadically for over a century afterward, as recently as 2002.
July 1868. Bear Lake, Utah-Idaho border. Joseph C. Rich reports a serpentine 'water devil' in the lake, drawing on real Shoshone tradition. Sightings escalate for three years. Rich confesses to fabricating it in 1894, but reports continue sporadically for over a century afterward, as recently as 2002.
625 APR 1973
ENFIELD HORROR
ENFIELD HORROR - THE THREE-LEGGED ILLINOIS CRYPTID FLAP
April 1973. Enfield, Illinois. Henry McDaniel reports a three-legged, gray, four-and-a-half-foot creature at his door, assessed as a credible witness by responding police. A separate boy's report is later confirmed a prank. A 1978 sociology paper studies the flap itself as a case of collective behavior.
April 1973. Enfield, Illinois. Henry McDaniel reports a three-legged, gray, four-and-a-half-foot creature at his door, assessed as a credible witness by responding police. A separate boy's report is later confirmed a prank. A 1978 sociology paper studies the flap itself as a case of collective behavior.
511 JUL 1972
MOMO
MOMO - THE 1972 MISSOURI MONSTER FLAP
July 1972. Louisiana, Missouri. Two Harrison siblings report a seven-foot, bloodied, foul-smelling creature carrying a dead dog. Tracks sent to a zoo director were, on most accounts, judged a hoax, and a retired teacher says three former students confessed, but she has never named them. The original sighting has never been explained, and Doris Harrison still stands by it.
July 1972. Louisiana, Missouri. Two Harrison siblings report a seven-foot, bloodied, foul-smelling creature carrying a dead dog. Tracks sent to a zoo director were, on most accounts, judged a hoax, and a retired teacher says three former students confessed, but she has never named them. The original sighting has never been explained, and Doris Harrison still stands by it.
328 OCT 1893
HODAG
HODAG - THE CONFESSED 1893 RHINELANDER HOAX
Rhinelander, Wisconsin, 28 October 1893. Timber cruiser Eugene Shepard publishes a drawing of the hodag, a spiked beast killed with dynamite. In 1896 he shows a live one at the county fair, moving it with hidden wires. When the Smithsonian wants a look, he admits the hoax. The town keeps the monster anyway.
Rhinelander, Wisconsin, 28 October 1893. Timber cruiser Eugene Shepard publishes a drawing of the hodag, a spiked beast killed with dynamite. In 1896 he shows a live one at the county fair, moving it with hidden wires. When the Smithsonian wants a look, he admits the hoax. The town keeps the monster anyway.
61773
WAITOREKE
WAITOREKE - NEW ZEALAND'S MYSTERY OTTER
South Island, New Zealand. For over 250 years people have reported a small, otter-like animal near rivers, in a country with no native land mammals except bats. Captain Cook noted an odd four-footed animal in 1773. A leading Māori scholar later said the name 'waitoreke' doesn't fit the Māori language, so even the name may be invented.
South Island, New Zealand. For over 250 years people have reported a small, otter-like animal near rivers, in a country with no native land mammals except bats. Captain Cook noted an odd four-footed animal in 1773. A leading Māori scholar later said the name 'waitoreke' doesn't fit the Māori language, so even the name may be invented.
41732
BARGUEST
BARGUEST - YORKSHIRE'S BLACK DOG
Northern English folklore: a huge black dog with saucer eyes whose appearance warns of a death. A Troller's Gill ballad is in print by 1830; Henderson's 1879 book places it near Leeds and Darlington.
Northern English folklore: a huge black dog with saucer eyes whose appearance warns of a death. A Troller's Gill ballad is in print by 1830; Henderson's 1879 book places it near Leeds and Darlington.
41971
GOATMAN
GOATMAN - PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY'S BACK-ROAD LEGEND
Prince George's County, Maryland. A student records the Goatman legend in May 1971. A reporter moves it to Bowie that October. On 3 November a puppy is found decapitated; in 1998 a witness says a train did it.
Prince George's County, Maryland. A student records the Goatman legend in May 1971. A reporter moves it to Bowie that October. On 3 November a puppy is found decapitated; in 1998 a witness says a train did it.
61636
WENDIGO
WENDIGO - THE SPIRIT OF HUNGER
Algonquian peoples of Canada and the northern US. The wendigo is a spirit, or a state a person can fall into, tied to endless hunger, greed and the horror of cannibalism in famine winters. It is a living tradition, not a monster to hunt, and this report treats it that way: no map, no hunt.
Algonquian peoples of Canada and the northern US. The wendigo is a spirit, or a state a person can fall into, tied to endless hunger, greed and the horror of cannibalism in famine winters. It is a living tradition, not a monster to hunt, and this report treats it that way: no map, no hunt.
44 AUG 1577
BLACK SHUCK
BLACK SHUCK - THE BUNGAY STORM AND THE BLACK DOG
4 August 1577. A storm hits churches at Bungay and Blythburgh, Suffolk, killing worshippers. Abraham Fleming's pamphlet puts a black dog in the lightning. Scorch marks survive on Blythburgh's door. The dog appears in no other source.
4 August 1577. A storm hits churches at Bungay and Blythburgh, Suffolk, killing worshippers. Abraham Fleming's pamphlet puts a black dog in the lightning. Scorch marks survive on Blythburgh's door. The dog appears in no other source.
53 MAR 1972
LOVELAND FROGMAN
LOVELAND FROGMAN - TWO POLICE OFFICERS AND A LIZARD
March 1972, Loveland, Ohio. Officers Ray Shockey and Mark Matthews see a strange animal on Riverside Drive; Matthews shoots at it. He later says it was a large lizard, probably an escaped iguana. The legend kept going anyway.
March 1972, Loveland, Ohio. Officers Ray Shockey and Mark Matthews see a strange animal on Riverside Drive; Matthews shoots at it. He later says it was a large lizard, probably an escaped iguana. The legend kept going anyway.
47 SEP 1936
THYLACINE
THYLACINE - THE TASMANIAN TIGER
Tasmania. The thylacine, the striped marsupial wolf, is declared gone after the last known animal, Benjamin, dies in Hobart Zoo on 7 September 1936. Bounties had already done most of the damage. Sightings have never stopped.
Tasmania. The thylacine, the striped marsupial wolf, is declared gone after the last known animal, Benjamin, dies in Hobart Zoo on 7 September 1936. Bounties had already done most of the damage. Sightings have never stopped.
41923
KONGAMATO
KONGAMATO - THE OVERWHELMER OF BOATS
Frank Melland's 1923 book on the Kaonde people of Northern Rhodesia records Kongamato, a red, featherless flying animal said to upset canoes in the Jiundu swamp. Shown pictures, his informants chose a pterodactyl. A century later there is still no specimen; shoebills, storks, and big bats fit better.
Frank Melland's 1923 book on the Kaonde people of Northern Rhodesia records Kongamato, a red, featherless flying animal said to upset canoes in the Jiundu swamp. Shown pictures, his informants chose a pterodactyl. A century later there is still no specimen; shoebills, storks, and big bats fit better.
31802
BEAST OF DEAN
BEAST OF DEAN - THE GIANT PIG OF THE FOREST
Forest of Dean, about 1802. Parkend farmers are said to hunt a giant boar-like beast and come home empty. No record from the time survives. Escaped and dumped wild boar breed in the forest from the 1990s.
Forest of Dean, about 1802. Parkend farmers are said to hunt a giant boar-like beast and come home empty. No record from the time survives. Escaped and dumped wild boar breed in the forest from the 1990s.
625 OCT 1924
TRUNKO
TRUNKO - THE WHITE 'FISH ELEPHANT' OF MARGATE
Margate, Natal, 25 October 1924. Witnesses watch two whales fight a white animal offshore for three hours. A 47-foot carcass with white 'fur' and a trunk washes up, lies there ten days and drifts away. Five photographs, found from 2010 on, show a classic globster.
Margate, Natal, 25 October 1924. Witnesses watch two whales fight a white animal offshore for three hours. A 47-foot carcass with white 'fur' and a trunk washes up, lies there ten days and drifts away. Five photographs, found from 2010 on, show a classic globster.
61750
SELMA
SELMA - THE SERPENT OF SELJORD
Seljordsvatnet, Telemark, Norway. In 1750 a serpent is said to overturn a boat crossing to Nes. Seljord puts it on its coat of arms in 1989. Sonar searches since 1977 find no animal. A 1983 carcass was a joke.
Seljordsvatnet, Telemark, Norway. In 1750 a serpent is said to overturn a boat crossing to Nes. Seljord puts it on its coat of arms in 1989. Sonar searches since 1977 find no animal. A 1983 carcass was a joke.
43 SEP 1978
ISSIE
ISSIE - JAPAN'S LAKE MONSTER
Lake Ikeda, Kagoshima. Caldera about 233 metres deep. Tourist name Issie, built to rhyme with Ness, over an older mare-and-foal story about looking for her lost child. 1978: Matsubara still and about twenty two-hump reports. No specimen.
Lake Ikeda, Kagoshima. Caldera about 233 metres deep. Tourist name Issie, built to rhyme with Ness, over an older mare-and-foal story about looking for her lost child. 1978: Matsubara still and about twenty two-hump reports. No specimen.
21817
GLOUCESTER SEA SERPENT
GLOUCESTER SEA SERPENT - THE SEA SERPENT OF 1817
Gloucester Harbor, Massachusetts, August 1817. For weeks hundreds of people watch a long, many-humped animal in the harbour. A scientific society takes sworn statements, then names a new species from a deformed black snake killed on the shore. The name fails. The sightings stand.
Gloucester Harbor, Massachusetts, August 1817. For weeks hundreds of people watch a long, many-humped animal in the harbour. A scientific society takes sworn statements, then names a new species from a deformed black snake killed on the shore. The name fails. The sightings stand.
51635
STORSJÖODJURET
STORSJÖODJURET - THE GREAT-LAKE MONSTER OF JÄMTLAND
Storsjön, central Sweden. A lake serpent recorded since 1635 and claimed by around 500 witnesses. In 1894 a hunt with royal approval brings in Norwegian whalers and an iron trap baited with a pig. It catches nothing. Protected by law from 1986 to 2005.
Storsjön, central Sweden. A lake serpent recorded since 1635 and claimed by around 500 witnesses. In 1894 a hunt with royal approval brings in Norwegian whalers and an iron trap baited with a pig. It catches nothing. Protected by law from 1986 to 2005.
31238
BROSNO DRAGON
BROSNO DRAGON - RUSSIA'S LAKE MONSTER
Lake Brosno, Tver region. Legend says a monster drove off Batu Khan's army in 1238. Sonar expeditions in 2002 and 2003 found no animal and blamed gas erupting from the lake bed for the surface upheavals.
Lake Brosno, Tver region. Legend says a monster drove off Batu Khan's army in 1238. Sonar expeditions in 2002 and 2003 found no animal and blamed gas erupting from the lake bed for the surface upheavals.
61920
DEATH WORM
DEATH WORM - THE RED WORM OF THE GOBI
Gobi Desert, Mongolia. Herders describe the olgoi-khorkhoi, a fat red worm that lives under the sand and can kill from a distance. Explorer Roy Chapman Andrews heard about it in the 1920s and wrote it down. He, and every expedition since, came home without one.
Gobi Desert, Mongolia. Herders describe the olgoi-khorkhoi, a fat red worm that lives under the sand and can kill from a distance. Explorer Roy Chapman Andrews heard about it in the 1920s and wrote it down. He, and every expedition since, came home without one.
4-
MOKELE-MBEMBE
MOKELE-MBEMBE - THE CONGO'S LIVING DINOSAUR
Congo Basin. People around the Likouala swamps describe Mokele-mbembe, 'one who stops the flow of rivers': a water animal with a long neck, a small head and an elephant-sized body. Western expeditions have spent fifty years hoping for a living dinosaur and brought back interviews and disputed footprints. No bone, no body, no photograph.
Congo Basin. People around the Likouala swamps describe Mokele-mbembe, 'one who stops the flow of rivers': a water animal with a long neck, a small head and an elephant-sized body. Western expeditions have spent fifty years hoping for a living dinosaur and brought back interviews and disputed footprints. No bone, no body, no photograph.
41933
EMELA-NTOUKA
EMELA-NTOUKA - THE CONGO'S HORNED 'KILLER OF ELEPHANTS'
Likouala swamps and Lake Tele, Republic of the Congo. Emela-ntouka, Lingala for 'killer of elephants', is described as an elephant-sized animal with one horn and a heavy tail. First named in print by game inspector Lucien Blancou in 1954, later collected by Roy Mackal's 1980 and 1981 expeditions. No specimen or photograph has ever been produced.
Likouala swamps and Lake Tele, Republic of the Congo. Emela-ntouka, Lingala for 'killer of elephants', is described as an elephant-sized animal with one horn and a heavy tail. First named in print by game inspector Lucien Blancou in 1954, later collected by Roy Mackal's 1980 and 1981 expeditions. No specimen or photograph has ever been produced.
41870
MINHOCÃO
MINHOCÃO - BRAZIL'S GIANT EARTHWORM
Southern and central Brazil, 19th century. Reports of a giant burrowing creature that digs trenches and drags livestock into rivers, recorded by Saint-Hilaire and collected by Fritz Müller in the 1870s. One witness saw a snout like a pig's. No specimen.
Southern and central Brazil, 19th century. Reports of a giant burrowing creature that digs trenches and drags livestock into rivers, recorded by Saint-Hilaire and collected by Fritz Müller in the 1870s. One witness saw a snout like a pig's. No specimen.
41980
TAHOE TESSIE
TAHOE TESSIE - THE LAKE MONSTER IN VERY CLEAR WATER
Lake Tahoe, 1,645 feet deep. Reports of a dark, humped creature cluster in the 1980s and the name Tessie sticks. The story that Jacques Cousteau dived there and was shaken is false. No specimen exists.
Lake Tahoe, 1,645 feet deep. Reports of a dark, humped creature cluster in the 1980s and the name Tessie sticks. The story that Jacques Cousteau dived there and was shaken is false. No specimen exists.
51948
BEAST OF BUSCO
BEAST OF BUSCO - OSCAR THE GIANT TURTLE
Fulk Lake, Indiana, July 1948. Two anglers report a turtle with a shell the size of a dining table. In 1949 owner Gale Harris tries traps, divers, a sea turtle lure and pumps. Thousands watch. No turtle.
Fulk Lake, Indiana, July 1948. Two anglers report a turtle with a shell the size of a dining table. In 1949 owner Gale Harris tries traps, divers, a sea turtle lure and pumps. Thousands watch. No turtle.
52000
SKUNK APE
SKUNK APE - FLORIDA'S SWAMP APE AND THE ANONYMOUS PHOTOS
Florida's Bigfoot, named for its smell. Reports since the 1960s, Dave Shealy's Ochopee photos, and the December 2000 Myakka photos, mailed to the Sarasota sheriff by someone who never gave a name. No body, no tested hair, no DNA.
Florida's Bigfoot, named for its smell. Reports since the 1960s, Dave Shealy's Ochopee photos, and the December 2000 Myakka photos, mailed to the Sarasota sheriff by someone who never gave a name. No body, no tested hair, no DNA.
51993
MAPINGUARI
MAPINGUARI - THE STINKING GIANT OF THE AMAZON
Amazon mapinguari accounts. David Oren’s hunter interviews include men who threw hair samples away because of the stench and would not keep them for science. No body recovered.
Amazon mapinguari accounts. David Oren’s hunter interviews include men who threw hair samples away because of the stench and would not keep them for science. No body recovered.
41912
NANDI BEAR
NANDI BEAR - KENYA'S BEAR WITH NO BEARS
Western Kenya. The chemosit of Nandi tradition and the "Nandi bear" of colonial reports: a high-shouldered, sloping-backed killer. Kenya has no bears. Every specimen brought in turned out to be a known animal, mostly hyenas.
Western Kenya. The chemosit of Nandi tradition and the "Nandi bear" of colonial reports: a high-shouldered, sloping-backed killer. Kenya has no bears. Every specimen brought in turned out to be a known animal, mostly hyenas.
21846
BUNYIP
BUNYIP - THE MONSTER OF THE MURRAY RIVER
Murrumbidgee, 1846. Settler Athol Fletcher finds part of a skull that Aboriginal people say came from a creature they killed. W. S. Macleay and Richard Owen call it a deformed foal. The skull is now lost.
Murrumbidgee, 1846. Settler Athol Fletcher finds part of a skull that Aboriginal people say came from a creature they killed. W. S. Macleay and Richard Owen call it a deformed foal. The skull is now lost.
51988
POPE LICK
POPE LICK - THE GOATMAN OF THE TRESTLE
Louisville, Kentucky. Legend says a half-man, half-goat lives under the railroad trestle over Pope Lick Creek. The trestle still carries freight trains, and since 1988 at least four people have died on it, each one visiting because of the legend. The monster has never left any evidence. The trains are the real danger.
Louisville, Kentucky. Legend says a half-man, half-goat lives under the railroad trestle over Pope Lick Creek. The trestle still carries freight trains, and since 1988 at least four people have died on it, each one visiting because of the legend. The monster has never left any evidence. The trains are the real danger.
41933
CADBOROSAURUS
CADBOROSAURUS - THE SEA SERPENT OF VICTORIA
Victoria, October 1933. Two officials report a huge animal off Chatham Island and Times editor Archie Wills names it Cadborosaurus. In 1937 a carcass is pulled from a sperm whale at Naden Harbour, photographed, and lost.
Victoria, October 1933. Two officials report a huge animal off Chatham Island and Times editor Archie Wills names it Cadborosaurus. In 1937 a carcass is pulled from a sperm whale at Naden Harbour, photographed, and lost.
312 AUG 1968
OGOPOGO
OGOPOGO - THE MONSTER OF OKANAGAN LAKE
Okanagan Lake, British Columbia. The Syilx spoke of n'ha-a-itk long before settlers sang of Ogopogo. In August 1968 Art Folden films a dark shape in the water. A 2005 survey shrinks it. No body found.
Okanagan Lake, British Columbia. The Syilx spoke of n'ha-a-itk long before settlers sang of Ogopogo. In August 1968 Art Folden films a dark shape in the water. A 2005 survey shrinks it. No body found.
51977
YOWIE
YOWIE - AUSTRALIA'S HAIRY MAN OF THE BUSH
Australian yowie file runs from colonial yahoo reports into the 1970s naming. Rex Gilroy organises the hunt; Springbrook cluster peaks in 1977 with O’Chee among the named witnesses. Graham Joyner keeps the older yahoo word in print.
Australian yowie file runs from colonial yahoo reports into the 1970s naming. Rex Gilroy organises the hunt; Springbrook cluster peaks in 1977 with O’Chee among the named witnesses. Graham Joyner keeps the older yahoo word in print.
326 APR 1890
TOMBSTONE THUNDERBIRD
TOMBSTONE THUNDERBIRD - THE PHOTOGRAPH NOBODY CAN FIND
Tombstone Epitaph, 26 April 1890. Two ranchers say they shot a featherless winged creature 92 feet long. No follow-up ran. The photo of men posing with it first surfaces in 1963 and has never been found.
Tombstone Epitaph, 26 April 1890. Two ranchers say they shot a featherless winged creature 92 feet long. No follow-up ran. The photo of men posing with it first surfaces in 1963 and has never been found.
31910
ORANG PENDEK
ORANG PENDEK - THE SHORT ONE OF KERINCI
Kerinci, Sumatra. A small, upright, hairy primate reported by locals, Dutch settlers, and researcher Debbie Martyr, who spent years looking. Casts and hair samples, inconclusive. Camera traps that catch tigers have never caught one.
Kerinci, Sumatra. A small, upright, hairy primate reported by locals, Dutch settlers, and researcher Debbie Martyr, who spent years looking. Casts and hair samples, inconclusive. Camera traps that catch tigers have never caught one.
51963
HONEY ISLAND
HONEY ISLAND - THE SWAMP MONSTER OF LOUISIANA
Honey Island Swamp, Louisiana, 1974. Harlan Ford and Billy Mills bring out casts of webbed, four-toed tracks. Ford dies in 1980. His Super 8 film surfaces later, and so does a track-making shoe near his camp.
Honey Island Swamp, Louisiana, 1974. Harlan Ford and Billy Mills bring out casts of webbed, four-toed tracks. Ford dies in 1980. His Super 8 film surfaces later, and so does a track-making shoe near his camp.
45 JUL 1977
CHAMP
CHAMP - THE PHOTO FROM LAKE CHAMPLAIN
5 July 1977. Sandra Mansi photographs a head and neck rising from Lake Champlain, gets the children out of the water, and keeps the print in an album for almost four years. The negative is gone and the spot was never found.
5 July 1977. Sandra Mansi photographs a head and neck rising from Lake Champlain, gets the children out of the water, and keeps the print in an album for almost four years. The negative is gone and the spot was never found.
51 APR 1987
MICHIGAN DOGMAN
MICHIGAN DOGMAN - THE APRIL FOOL SONG THAT WOULDN'T DIE
1 April 1987. WTCM in Traverse City airs Steve Cook's April Fool song The Legend, about an upright dog. That July a clawed Luther cabin makes the news. Cook says he made it all up. The dogman lives on.
1 April 1987. WTCM in Traverse City airs Steve Cook's April Fool song The Legend, about an upright dog. That July a clawed Luther cabin makes the news. Cook says he made it all up. The dogman lives on.
51983
BEAST OF EXMOOR
BEAST OF EXMOOR - MARINES SENT AFTER LAMB KILLS IN DEVON
Drewstone Farm, South Molton, spring 1983. Eric Ley loses sheep to throat wounds. Police call in Royal Marines snipers with night sights. No shot is fired, no cat is caught and no sample is ever identified.
Drewstone Farm, South Molton, spring 1983. Eric Ley loses sheep to throat wounds. Police call in Royal Marines snipers with night sights. No shot is fired, no cat is caught and no sample is ever identified.
21959
PANGBOCHE HAND
PANGBOCHE HAND - MONASTERY RELIC DNA RETURNS HUMAN
Pangboche, Nepal. Monks keep a hand they call a yeti's. In 1959 Peter Byrne smuggles a thumb and finger bone out for Tom Slick. In 2011 Edinburgh tests a finger from that haul. The DNA is human.
Pangboche, Nepal. Monks keep a hand they call a yeti's. In 1959 Peter Byrne smuggles a thumb and finger bone out for Tom Slick. In 2011 Edinburgh tests a finger from that haul. The DNA is human.
429 DEC 1991
BEAST OF BRAY ROAD
BEAST OF BRAY ROAD - THE WEREWOLF OF ELKHORN, WISCONSIN
Elkhorn, Wisconsin, 1989 to 1991. Witnesses on Bray Road report a large upright, hairy creature; one says it hit her car. Linda Godfrey's December 1991 story makes it famous. Nothing is caught, shot or found.
Elkhorn, Wisconsin, 1989 to 1991. Witnesses on Bray Road report a large upright, hairy creature; one says it hit her car. Linda Godfrey's December 1991 story makes it famous. Nothing is caught, shot or found.
41 MAY 1971
FOUKE MONSTER
FOUKE MONSTER - PORCH ATTACK AND THREE-TOED TRACKS IN ARKANSAS
1 May 1971, Fouke, Arkansas. Bobby Ford says a hairy arm grabbed him on the porch and he ran through the front door. Three men fire seven shots. Three-toed tracks, claw marks, no blood. No specimen ever found.
1 May 1971, Fouke, Arkansas. Bobby Ford says a hairy arm grabbed him on the porch and he ran through the front door. Three men fire seven shots. Three-toed tracks, claw marks, no blood. No specimen ever found.
321 APR 1934
LOCH NESS
LOCH NESS - SURGEON PHOTOGRAPH AND TOY SUBMARINE ADMISSION
April 1934. R. K. Wilson’s plate in the Daily Mail shows an object on Loch Ness water and becomes the Surgeon’s Photograph. Later named as a toy submarine with a wood putty head. The loch kept its watchers.
April 1934. R. K. Wilson’s plate in the Daily Mail shows an object on Loch Ness water and becomes the Surgeon’s Photograph. Later named as a toy submarine with a wood putty head. The loch kept its watchers.
31995
CHUPACABRA
CHUPACABRA - THE GOATSUCKER OF PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico, 1995. Goats and sheep are found dead with puncture wounds. Madelyne Tolentino describes a spiny upright creature and the name chupacabras spreads. Mainland carcasses test as mangy canids.
Puerto Rico, 1995. Goats and sheep are found dead with puncture wounds. Madelyne Tolentino describes a spiny upright creature and the name chupacabras spreads. Mainland carcasses test as mangy canids.
51995
BEAST OF BODMIN
BEAST OF BODMIN - MAFF STUDY FINDS NO VERIFIABLE BIG CAT
Bodmin Moor. Farmers report dead ewes and a large cat. 1995 MAFF/ADAS study under Angela Browning finds no verifiable big cat; she wore a cat brooch to the announcement. Rhodes sold flock after losses.
Bodmin Moor. Farmers report dead ewes and a large cat. 1995 MAFF/ADAS study under Angela Browning finds no verifiable big cat; she wore a cat brooch to the announcement. Rhodes sold flock after losses.
429 JUN 1988
LIZARD MAN
LIZARD MAN - SEVEN-FOOT FIGURE IN SCAPE ORE SWAMP
Bishopville, South Carolina, 29 June 1988. Seventeen-year-old Christopher Davis is changing a tyre by Scape Ore Swamp when a seven-foot, green-brown figure with three fingers and red eyes comes at him and leaps on his car as he flees. More reports and three-toed tracks follow, and a radio station offers a reward. Nothing was ever caught.
Bishopville, South Carolina, 29 June 1988. Seventeen-year-old Christopher Davis is changing a tyre by Scape Ore Swamp when a seven-foot, green-brown figure with three fingers and red eyes comes at him and leaps on his car as he flees. More reports and three-toed tracks follow, and a radio station offers a reward. Nothing was ever caught.
51976
OWLMAN
OWLMAN - FEATHERED BIRD-MAN AT MAWNAN CHURCH TOWER
17 April 1976, Mawnan, Cornwall. Sisters June and Vicky Melling say a feathered, winged figure hovered over the church tower. Doc Shiels names it Owlman. The 1976 and 1978 reports all reach print through him.
17 April 1976, Mawnan, Cornwall. Sisters June and Vicky Melling say a feathered, winged figure hovered over the church tower. Doc Shiels names it Owlman. The 1976 and 1978 reports all reach print through him.
523 JAN 1909
JERSEY DEVIL
JERSEY DEVIL - 1909 WINGED PANIC IN SOUTH JERSEY
January 1909. South Jersey papers fill with a winged thing on woodsheds, trolleys, and fence rails. Older name in the same counties: Leeds Devil. A museum later briefly cages a kangaroo as exhibit.
January 1909. South Jersey papers fill with a winged thing on woodsheds, trolleys, and fence rails. Older name in the same counties: Leeds Devil. A museum later briefly cages a kangaroo as exhibit.
520 OCT 1967
PATTERSON-GIMLIN
PATTERSON-GIMLIN - BLUFF CREEK SIXTEEN-MILLIMETER BIGFOOT FILM
Bluff Creek, California, 20 October 1967. Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin film a tall, hairy figure walking away and looking back. Under a minute of 16mm, it is still the most argued-over Bigfoot evidence. In 2026 a reel marked 1966 and a confession from Patterson's son put it on trial again.
Bluff Creek, California, 20 October 1967. Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin film a tall, hairy figure walking away and looking back. Under a minute of 16mm, it is still the most argued-over Bigfoot evidence. In 2026 a reel marked 1966 and a confession from Patterson's son put it on trial again.
612 SEP 1952
FLATWOODS
FLATWOODS - SPADE-HEADED FIGURE ON BRAXTON COUNTY HILL
Flatwoods, West Virginia, 12 September 1952. Boys see a bright object land on a hill farm, and a small group led by Kathleen May climbs up to look. They report a ten-foot figure with a glowing, spade-shaped head in a stinging mist. It became a classic American monster, and one with a down-to-earth explanation that fits a surprising number of the details.
Flatwoods, West Virginia, 12 September 1952. Boys see a bright object land on a hill farm, and a small group led by Kathleen May climbs up to look. They report a ten-foot figure with a glowing, spade-shaped head in a stinging mist. It became a classic American monster, and one with a down-to-earth explanation that fits a surprising number of the details.
619 JUN 1767
BEAST OF GEVAUDAN
BEAST OF GEVAUDAN - ROYAL HUNT PREDATOR KILLS IN MARGERIDE
1764-67. A predator in the Margeride kills dozens. The king’s gun-bearer shoots a wolf in 1765 and Versailles celebrates. People keep dying until Jean Chastel fires in June 1767. Official kills are logged; motive lines stay disputed.
1764-67. A predator in the Margeride kills dozens. The king’s gun-bearer shoots a wolf in 1765 and Versailles celebrates. People keep dying until Jean Chastel fires in June 1767. Official kills are logged; motive lines stay disputed.
420 FEB 1838
SPRING-HEELED JACK
SPRING-HEELED JACK - FLAME AND CLAWS AT JANE ALSOP'S GATE
Old Ford, 20 February 1838. Jane Alsop answers the gate with a candle for a man who says they have caught Spring-heeled Jack. He throws off a cloak, spits blue-white flame, and tears her gown with metal claws.
Old Ford, 20 February 1838. Jane Alsop answers the gate with a candle for a man who says they have caught Spring-heeled Jack. He throws off a cloak, spits blue-white flame, and tears her gown with metal claws.
522 APR 1977
DOVER DEMON
DOVER DEMON - WATERMELON-HEAD FIGURE IN DOVER, MASSACHUSETTS
21-22 April 1977. Three independent teenage witnesses in Dover, Massachusetts, describe a small peach-skinned figure with a watermelon head and orange reflecting eyes. The window is twenty-six hours. No further confirmed reports.
21-22 April 1977. Three independent teenage witnesses in Dover, Massachusetts, describe a small peach-skinned figure with a watermelon head and orange reflecting eyes. The window is twenty-six hours. No further confirmed reports.
415 NOV 1966
MOTHMAN
MOTHMAN - WINGED HUMANOID SIGHTINGS IN POINT PLEASANT
November 1966 to December 1967. Multiple witnesses around Point Pleasant, West Virginia, reported a large winged humanoid with glowing red eyes, often near the abandoned TNT area. Sightings largely ceased after the Silver Bridge collapse on 15 December 1967 that killed 46 people.
November 1966 to December 1967. Multiple witnesses around Point Pleasant, West Virginia, reported a large winged humanoid with glowing red eyes, often near the abandoned TNT area. Sightings largely ceased after the Silver Bridge collapse on 15 December 1967 that killed 46 people.
521 AUG 1955
KELLY-HOPKINSVILLE
KELLY-HOPKINSVILLE - SUTTON FARMHOUSE HUMANOIDS IN KELLY, KENTUCKY
Night of 21-22 August 1955. Eleven people at a farmhouse near Kelly, Kentucky, said small glowing figures with huge eyes and long arms kept coming to the windows while they fired on them for hours. They fled to the Hopkinsville police, and about twenty officers searched the farm. They found bullet holes and spent shells, nothing else.
Night of 21-22 August 1955. Eleven people at a farmhouse near Kelly, Kentucky, said small glowing figures with huge eyes and long arms kept coming to the windows while they fired on them for hours. They fled to the Hopkinsville police, and about twenty officers searched the farm. They found bullet holes and spent shells, nothing else.